Fox & Krystal One-Shot Collection
by Groundis
Summary: A collection of short one-shots, each centered around Fox and Krystal.
1. Lullaby

Lullaby

 _In... Out. In... Out._

Sleep teased in the corners of Fox's mind, but something kept him from drifting off into slumber. If he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, he knew he could float into unconsciousness. But she kept him here. His eyes made another iteration of their lazy back and forth trip, following Krystal's chest up and down as she took a quiet breath in, and eventually let it back out. It was a soporific cycle, lulling him into a trance that made the dark room around him fade away. All that existed was himself, and her sleeping next to him. His blue wonder.

 _Up…. down. Up… down._

Fox couldn't help but bask in how stunningly gorgeous she was. But… not in a traditional sense. He'd grown up seeing attractive women in movies or on television, but Krystal wasn't like them. He had always thought that if the breeze blew even just a tad too strong on those girls, they would be swept away in the wind, carried off, unable to offer up any kind of resistance against it. They walked like ghosts, floating here and there without purpose. They spoke every sentence with such passivity, as if they couldn't muster up the energy to be interested in the words they were saying even as they were speaking them. Krystal was nothing like that.

At first glance, there was no mistaking that she was a knockout. Fox smiled just a little as his eyes ran over her lithe figure. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he would go to the mat with anybody who disagreed. Light, fast, powerful, curvy… To him, she was like a piece of art that belonged in the most elite, important museums on Corneria. But Krystal was more than just mind numbingly attractive. He knew her spirit was made of pure titanium, and was just as resilient and unbreakable. She was subtle and more than a little bit of a tease from time to time, but when all the chips were down, Krystal's anger and punishment were swift, savage, and terrifying. She was ferocious, and underestimating her was the last mistake you'd ever make. He was continually astounded every time she destroyed his already stratospheric expectations.

Off the battlefield though, Krystal was just as purposeful. She moved with the grace of a dancer, but still carried the decisiveness of a bulldozer behind every move she made. Whenever she spoke, her soft, accented voice carried him off to cloud nine. More than once, he'd simply curled up in her warm embrace, letting her pull him into sleep by whispering sweet everythings into his ear with her musical voice. It always sent him off with a happy smile, feeling her hand stroking his fur, and her warm breath on his cheek. Don't let her angelic words fool you though, because her siren's song could cut just as easily as it could cuddle. Her rapier wit had sliced down Falco, Katt, and even Fara more times than he could count.

 _Soft… Strong. Delicate… Relentless. Warm… Hot. That's who Krystal is._

His vision went black as he shut his eyes for a long second, feeling a weight resist his eyelids when he brought them back open. Nothing but himself, and the marvel that was sleeping soundly next to him. He let himself gaze into her slumbering face. She looked so peaceful right now. Content. It washed away all the rigor and precision that she carried herself with around the _Great Fox_ 's halls. She was a warrior, a fighter tooth and nail, whether that was against a SharpClaw, an Aparoid, or Falco over a box of cereal. Years of discipline had worked itself into her posture, the way she stood and walked at all times. He loved that about her. She always seemed alert and ready to strike. The vixen would perpetually tease him with peeks and glimpses at her divine figure, like she was always exactly, effortlessly aware of herself at all times, and knew precisely how to drive him absolutely crazy. And yet, now that she was slumbering, he could see a side of her that he so rarely was gifted with.

Her warrior's training had evaporated off in her dreams, leaving behind his lovely vixen without a single care in the world burdening her. Her face was free from any concern. A few strands of her silken hair fell over her closed eyes. The soft lines of her face curved from her adorable black button nose down to the two tufts of sapphire fur on her cheeks. His eyes slipped just a little further, as he painted the flawless, snow white canvas of her chest with his gaze. He let out an amused breath when her nose wrinkled in unconscious annoyance at a lock of hair slipping down and batting against her muzzle. Reaching one hand out, he plucked the offending strand off her face, tucking it behind one ear and watching her features return to their peaceful neutrality. When she was asleep, none of that rigid discipline that he loved so dearly remained. Instead, he saw the normally taut cords in her back and arms relax, the careful sway of her tail turned into an intermittent wiggle as her dreams played out inside her mind. She looked… content. Krystal looked like being here, falling asleep next to him, getting to share a blanket and body heat with him, was the greatest gift she could ever ask for. He lived to make her happy. And seeing her like this let him know that he was doing his job.

She made him happy too, if that even needed to be said. Really, happy was too light a word for how Krystal made him feel. When she was nearby, he was invincible. Nothing could stop him, nothing could block his path. She made him want to laugh, want to grin, want to dance and sing and hug her close. His eyes started to water the longer he looked at her sleeping next to him, and he had to blink back the hot tears. Krystal meant so much to him. In a time when he hadn't had anything left, when everything had been dark and meaningless, she had given him a second chance. She was his second chance to do right in the world, and she was a constant reminder that he could make a difference in somebody's life. Now, he had a reason to live. A reason to fight. A reason to smile. Krystal was the reason that he smiled, just like he found himself smiling now. He had never felt this close to somebody before. Not Falco, not Peppy, not even his own parents, really. Krystal was more than just his mate. She wasn't even just his other half. She was his everything. The blue vixen that he never deserved meant more to him than Star Fox, Corneria, all of it. He would toss aside all of it for her. The bond that had developed between them was so strong, it had become fundamental to him. Nothing could ever break what they had.

Those were heavy thoughts though, and now wasn't the time for that. He could feel the cool tendrils of slumber snaking into his mind, whisking him away to the same place Krystal had gone. He smiled at her, and Fox could've sworn that he saw her smile back, just a little twitch of her lip. She sighed, readjusting on their mattress and snuggling up closer to him. She draped one arm over his torso, burying her head into the bare fur on his chest. She mumbled something in her sleep, and in the solitary quiet of their room, he could make it out without difficulty.

"Fox… love… Fox."

His heart melted, even as his eyes began to flutter. He wrapped his arms around her as well, pulling her in close and resting his chin between her ears. Sleep was only moments away now, and he could only murmur one response to the love of his life before finally drifting away.

"Love you too, Krystal… My everything."

/

A/N: Hey guys! Not much to say here. Just a little something I wrote last night, I like it enough and thought I'd put it up here. I'm working on a lot of other projects right now, and I wanted to write something short and sweet of these two goofballs. Stay tuned for more stuff coming soon!


	2. The Scarf

The Scarf

She loved how, whenever the light caught her ring just right, the otherwise unassuming gem set in it would detonate in a parade of dazzling colors. Krystal held her hand up to the lamp standing beside her, rotating and shifting her finger inch-by-inch in search of that one magical spot that would produce the light show she loved so much. After a few moments, she stumbled upon it. The deep purple stone set in its gold and silver band flashed bright, scattering shards of vibrant reds, greens, blues, yellows, every color she could imagine across the room, painting the walls with shocks of vivacious color. Krystal smiled, her heart warming just as it did every other time she'd witnessed the spectacle. Just like she would until the end of time.

Krystal's eyes couldn't help but slip around the room, led by the splashes of color she'd created. It was a cozy dressing room, with an antique wooden dresser shuffled into one corner, and a tiny desk supporting a circular mirror in the other corner. A small army of fur dyes and makeup were spread haphazardly across the table. Krystal caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, and couldn't help but blush and look away with a tiny laugh at the sight. She'd spent hours ensuring that not a single strand of hair or fur was out of place, from the brushed and fluffed tufts on her cheeks, to the long locks of sapphire hair tossed back, whisking across her shoulders. The silver chain tiara on her forehead had been scrubbed and polished within an inch of its life, and it now gleamed bright and dazzling. Normally, Krystal wasn't one to worry about a stray strand of hair here, or a smudged jewel there. But today was different. Today was a day she had been waiting years for. Today was a day she had nearly screamed in gleeful frustration because of its refusal to finally come about.

Krystal's eyes glanced downwards, taking in the simple, long, flowing white dress that adorned her body. Her wedding dress. The vixen giggled out of joy for the millionth time that day when she thought about what she was finally wearing. She, after so long, after so much patience and hope, was in a wedding dress. And somewhere in the building, she knew Fox was dressed in a sharp suit, which only made her even more giddy. Foxy Woxy was probably playing it off calm and collected today, but underneath it all, she knew he was just as jubilant for this day to have arrived. A smile melted onto her lips, and her heart fluttered as the vulpine of her dreams floated into the top of her thoughts.

Only Fox could make her feel this way; so purely content and excited and lightheaded. Romantics always said that they felt just as much wonder for their loves as the very first time they met them. But, Krystal had always thought that the people who said that didn't really understand what it meant to be truly, irrevocably in love with somebody. Every second that Fox was in her life, she only fell more and more hopelessly in love with him. Krystal didn't love him as much as when she'd first met him: she loved him more. Krystal wasn't exactly as inspired by his indomitable spirit as she first was back on Sauria: she was more awestruck by his sheer will every day. And she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that every day from now until the end of the world, she would only fall deeper in love with Fox McCloud.

A content sigh flowed from Krystal's lips as her hero diffused himself into every one of her thoughts. She had spent entire days replaying their first meeting on top of that Saurian temple, recalling the way the lightning had made his already verdant, jade pupils sparkle in their infinite depth, remembering the fire that had pulsed through her core when their hands had first made contact. She'd told that story a million times, though. Even if it was her and Fox's favorite tale, that wasn't a reason to forget every other pleasant memory they had made together.

Do you know when she really, truly knew that she was never going to love anybody else as much as Fox? It wasn't at the temple, as dramatic an that escapade was. It wasn't when she had strutted aboard to say thank you, and his face had turned hotter than the surface of a star. It wasn't even when he had given up his room for her, and had then done everything he could think of to make her feel welcome during their entire trip back to Corneria. Certainly, she had loved him during all of those moments, but none of them told her that he was the person she would spend the rest of her life with. That moment came on the day he invited her to Star Fox.

They had been on Corneria for a few days, exploring and relaxing now that Fox had to deal with all the paperwork that had come with the Saurian crisis. She had tagged along with him on all of his errands, partially for the sightseeing opportunities, but mostly because she wanted to spend every minute she could around this curious vulpine that had captured her imagination. They had spent every waking second of the week together, and it seemed like whenever Fox had even a few spare minutes away from working, he was whisking her away to some fantastic restaurant, or some breathtaking sight. Krystal had a museum of pleasant memories from that week: his quiet, musical laugh, his goofy grin, the way his ears fluttered any time she would step in close to him. Krystal giggled even now, thinking back to it. It had been a week full of nothing but smiling and joy. She had felt something special with Fox. A trust, a bond that she had never felt with anyone else. She knew that it was meant to be, however, when Fox had asked her to stay with him on the Great Fox. She had stared into his face with shock, trying to parse the question as he grew adorably flustered and stuttery.

It wasn't the question itself that had floored her though. It was the emotions that swirled behind it. His one, simple request held so much raw feeling. Love and trust and hope. But none of that convinced her that she would spend her life alongside him. What finally made her sure of that was the protectiveness behind his words. When he asked her to stay with him, and had stared at her with those bottomless emerald eyes of his, she saw a strength and resolve that still sent shivers down her spine. After only a week, there was no doubt in her mind that Fox would do anything to protect her. That kind of commitment, that kind of devotion... she had never felt it before. Not between any two people, and certainly never directed at herself. Krystal knew, in that moment, that he couldn't live without her. And that was when the second realization hit her. The protectiveness in his voice didn't simply mean that he wanted to protect her. No, Fox McCloud wanted her to protect him as well.

This wasn't just friendship, and it wasn't just love. She and Fox were incomplete without each other. Less than nothing, without the other, they were aimless, hollow. Krystal never realized that, before meeting Fox, she'd carried a hole in heart everywhere she went. She'd been so focused on figuring out what had happened to Cerinia that she'd never stopped to take stock of what had happened to her when it was destroyed. But once she met Fox, that hole in her heart had suddenly filled with warmth, where before there had only been numb void. Suddenly, Krystal knew what it meant to be whole again, and realized that the unnamed weight that she'd carried on her back all these years had been loss. Loss of her home, loss of her family, loss of her identity. With Fox around though, she didn't have to ask where she belonged, because she already knew. She belonged right here, on Star Fox. All the mountains could crumble into the sea, all the stars could burn into frigid coals, but now, she knew she'd never have to shed another tear. Just as long as she stood by Fox.

It was in that single, vulnerable moment of Fox inviting her to the team that the vixen realized all of this. She had sat next to him for what felt like days, stunned. After all, how else was she supposed to react? In the space of a heartbeat, she'd realized that she would spend the rest of her life with Fox standing at her side. It wasn't a new thought. It was a piece of knowledge she'd had since the very first time she'd laid eyes on him. It had simply taken until then for her to realize it. And so, once the vixen had come to her conclusion and was ready to respond to the vulpine's invitation, she'd done the only thing that made sense to her.

She'd kissed him.

Krystal had wrapped her arms around his back, hooking her legs up onto their bench so they straddled his, and had pulled Fox into a kiss that was deeper and more explosive than any song or story had ever prepared her for. It set off fireworks in her mind, made every last strand of her fur stand on end at electrified attention. Her eyelids had fluttered closed, letting all sensation concentrate solely on the feeling of her mate's lips against her own.

Every kiss since then had only grown more passionate with age.

Krystal knew that their next kiss was supposed to be their most important. It was the kiss they would share after exchanging their vows, and promising themselves to each other until the end of time. But honestly, that wasn't the reason this was important to her. She'd known since their very first kiss that she would be with him until their expiring breaths. No, Krystal didn't need any more proof that what they had defied language, transcended reason. She and Fox, by some divinely miraculous gift, were meant for each other. Fox wasn't just her second half, he was everything to her. That's why today was important. Today was the day she could announce to the world that Fox McCloud was her everything. Today, Krystal would show everybody that her heroic orange tod was her entire universe. Goddesses, some days, she just wanted to scream it at the top of her lungs in impassioned ecstasy. That Fox was her mate, her second chance, her entire reason for being. That he made her happier than all the riches in the world, or all the power in the galaxy. None of it was even a glimmer compared to the radiant sun that Fox was to her.

That was why, looking down at the engagement ring on her finger, at the spotless white dress on her body, today was the happiest day of her life. Because today, she would finally be able to tell everyone in the most definitive words possible that her Foxy Woxy was perfect. Krystal took a shaky, smiling breath, having to hold onto a chair for steadiness. For every pleasant memory that she had stashed away, the vixen was going to make a hundred more as they spent the rest of their days hand in hand. She would always count herself the luckiest person in the galaxy because of that.

Krystal's ears swiveled to the side when she heard a short knock at the door. Her head followed soon after, and a peaceful smile broke out on her lips when she saw the vulpine in question peek his head through the doorway, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. However, it was soon replaced by astonishment as his eyes traveled up and down the length of her body, taking in the dress that adorned her figure. Krystal could see his breath catch in his throat when she rose to her feet, her jewelry clinking as she performed a slow spin for him. Her dress floated at her ankles, rustling as the lace twirled and shifted. Eventually she came to a halt facing him, her hands clasped in front of her. Fox's eyes were soft with adoration, even if he still looked slightly shocked at seeing her in her wedding dress.

"You look… wow. K-Krys, you're…" he stammered out, a blush starting to glow in his ears. "...Beautiful." He finally managed to finish his sentence with love and confidence, bringing a light giggle to her lips. It was cut short, however, when he stepped through the door, revealing what he was wearing. A sharp, clean, pressed tuxedo hugged his angular body, barely concealing the chiseled muscles that lay just underneath its surface. Somehow, it managed to make him even more handsome than he always was. Upon closer inspection, however, she noticed that something was missing. Fox let out an embarrassed breath when he raised his hand up to his bare collar.

"I, ah…" he started, the flush in his throat glowing bright red. "It seems like all these years hanging out with Falco have rubbed off on me… I can't seem to remember how to tie this," he managed, bringing a long black tie out from his pocket and into the open, still flat and undone. Krystal shook her head and let out a series of admonishing tuts at the vulpine, but her grin only widened and the love singing in her mind only vibrated more fervently as she stepped up in front of him. The vixen trailed one finger from the ruff of his cheek and down his throat before coming to a stop over his broad chest. She stepped in closer to him, feeling his pulse quicken as she rested her ink black nose against his. Even now, being in close proximity to each other was like a shot of adrenaline to the heart. It made their eyes dilate, their toes curl. Eventually she picked the tie out of his hand, looking it over for herself.

"I… hate to admit this, but I have no clue how to tie one of these either. I could probably use it to lash an Arwing to the deck, but I doubt that's what you want me to do with it," she said playfully, earning a sheepish smile from him as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah, that's what I figured. I'd ask Falco, but I bet he just uses clip-on ties whenever he needs to dress up for one of Katt's galas," he said with a shrug, earning an endearing laugh from the blue fox. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before spinning on her heel, heading over to her backpack and digging through it. Eventually, her hand found the pocket she was looking for. She opened its zipper gingerly, using delicate fingers to pull the object free, and holding it close to her heart before turning back around. She shuffled back up to Fox with it held close to her chest, eventually unclasping her fingers and revealing a brief flash of red fabric underneath.

It was Fox's red scarf… the one he'd been wearing the day he'd rescued her on Sauria.

Fox was silent as she reached behind his neck with the scarf in hand, and reverently tied it into a neat knot. She trailed both hands forward after it was done, stepping away to admire her handiwork. Now Fox stood in his dashing suit, but instead of a tie on his collar, he had her favorite, most precious article of clothing around his neck. His red scarf.

"There," she said quietly. "Perfect."

Fox stepped forward quickly as intimate emotion welled in both of their minds, pulling her into a gentle embrace that she returned instantly. The room was silent aside from their intermingled breathing, and their synchronized heartbeats. In the end, Krystal realized, it didn't really matter how many people knew that she was Fox's, and that he was hers. None of that was important. All that she cared about was Fox. Nothing else. And as long as she could be here, holding him close, then she knew that she could do anything. As long as they stood by each other, nothing was insurmountable.

"Husband," she murmured into his ear, burying her nose into the soft fur of his neck.

"Wife," he whispered back, squeezing her tighter against his chest, never ever to let go. "My wonder."

She hummed contentedly, knowing that everything in the universe was as it should be. "My miracle."

/

A/N: Just a little something I wrote a long time ago, but never put the finishing touches on until today. It was just a little writing exercise, but I think it turned out cute. Keep your eyes peeled, because I've got some other stuff in the works, and hopefully the next publication will be soon!


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